Due to the deepening of oil wells and gas wells (hereunder, oil wells and gas wells are collectively referred to as “oil wells”), there is a demand to enhance the strength of oil-well steel pipes. Specifically, 80 ksi grade (yield stress is 80 to 95 ksi, that is, 551 to 654 MPa) and 95 ksi grade (yield stress is 95 to 1 1 0 ksi, that is, 654 to 758 MPa) oil-well steel pipes are being widely utilized.
Many deep wells are in a sour environment containing hydrogen sulfide that is corrosive. Oil-well steel pipes that are used in such sour environments are required to have not only a high strength, but to also have sulfide stress cracking resistance (hereunder, referred to as “SSC resistance”).
Steels with a high strength and enhanced hydrogen embrittlement resistance characteristics (SSC resistance and delayed fracture resistance) are proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 56-5949 (Patent Literature 1) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-35622 (Patent Literature 2). The steels disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Literatures contain Co, and thus enhance the hydrogen embrittlement resistance characteristics (SSC resistance and delayed fracture resistance).
Specifically, a high tensile strength steel disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is obtained by quenching and tempering steel having a chemical composition containing C: 0.05 to 0.50%, Si: 0.10 to 0.28%, Mn: 0.10 to 2.0%, Co: 0.05 to 1.50% and Al: 0.01 to 0.10%, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, and has a yield stress of 60 kg/mm2 or more.
A high-strength oil-well steel disclosed in Patent Literature 2 is obtained by subjecting a steel having a chemical composition containing C: 0.27 to 0.50%, Si: 0.08 to 0.30%, Mn: 0.90 to 1.30%, Cr: 0.5 to 0.9%, Ni: 0.03% or less, V: 0.04 to 0.11%, Nb: 0.01 to 0.10%, Mo: 0.60 to 0.80%, Al: 0.1% or less and Co: 3% or less, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which the impurities contain P: 0.005% or less and S: 0.003% or less, to quenching at 880 to 980° C., and then tempering at 650 to 700° C.